Improvement in way-meters for wheel-vehicles



ZSheets--Sheetl. JLA. ROBINSON.

WayMeters for Wheel-Vehicles. No. 145,527, Patented Dec.16,1873.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

l. A. ROBINSON. Way-Meters for Wheel-Vehicles.

Y Patented Dec. 16,1873. TQQ@ my Mg. min.

wry/? `UNITED STATES PATENT OEErOE.

JONATHAN A. ROBINSON, OF FBEMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT lN WAV-METIERS FOR WHEEL-VEHICLES.

Sp( eiiication formingpart of Letters Patent No. 145,527, dated December 1G, 1873; application filed October 31, 1873.

To all whom it Imay concern Be it known that I, JONATHAN A. ROBIN SON, of Fremont, ot' the county of Rockingham and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tay-Meters for \heel-Vehicles 5 and do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 denotes a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a top view, of one of my improved meters. Fig. 3 is an innerside view of the operative ratchet-wheel and its ease. Fig. 4 is an innerside view of the rotary cap of such case with the parts applied to the interior thereof. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken through and in line with the axis of the arbor ot' the ratchetwheel. Fig. 6 is avertical section ofthe main case and the mechanism contained therein.

In such. drawings, A denotes the said main case of the meter, such having applied to one side of it, in manner as shown, another or auxiliary circular ease, B, in which there is arranged concentrically a ratchet-wheel, C. This wheel C is fixed upon a driving-arbor, D, which extends into and through the main case A, is supported in suitable bearings and has at its middle a screw or worm, a. This worm a engages with a worin-gear, b,1ixed upon a shaft, e, which is arranged in the axis ofthe case A. Such shaft c carries a hand or index-pointer, d, to operate with a dial, c, disposed as shown. A short tubular sl'iaftJ', arranged to turn upon the shaft c, carries another hand or indexpointer, g, to operate with the dial. Onepointer serves to indicate with the dial the number of miles, and the other parts of a mile.

Fig. 7 is a view of the train or mechanism within the main case. A retaining-pawl, h, is arranged within such case and applied to the second toothed wheel t', which is iixed upon the tubular shaft f. Vith this wheel 'i an impelling-pawl, 7c, operates, the two pawls being arranged in manner as shown.

Fig. 8 is a view of the wheel t' and its oper ative mechanism. The pawl 71:, shaped as shown in such Fig. S, is pivoted to an arm, l', that turns upon the tubular shaft, and is provided with a stud, m, )roj ectin g downward fromit, as shown. A lever, a, pivoted to the case, and formed as represented, has one arm resting against the stud m and the other against the inner periphery of the case. A lever-spring, o, arranged upon a fixed pivot, p, and in other respects as shown, has its arms connected with the two pawls by rods q i, whereby the spring serves to operate both pawls or to draw them up to the ratchet-gear From the gear b a stud, s, extends upward, and, during such revolution of the gear b, such stud will be carried against the lever a and will move it so as to cause it to move the arm Zin a manner to force the impellii'ig-pawl against the wheel i', so as to turn the said wheel the distance required. The lever a, besides serving to actuate the arm carrying the impelling-pawl, operates as'a backstop for the arm. The lever-spring not only performs the function of drawing the two pawls up to their ratchet-wheel, but also that of retracting the arm after each advance of it. There is applied t0 the auxiliary case B, and the rotary cap or cover a thereof, a spring, E, for turning such cover, so as to keep its working lever in close contact wit-h the hub and cam thereof ofa carriagewheel. This lever is shown at F, as applied to the hub t of the rotary cap u of the ease B, and held thereto by a setserew, e, the same being so as to admit of the lever being turned around upon and xed in place on the hub, as circumstances may require. A retaining-pawl, w, pivoted to the case B is applied to the ratchet-wheel C, and, furthermore, there is pivoted to the rotary cap u an impelling-pawl, x, to act with the ratchet-wheel. There also projects from the rotary cap a stud, y, which, by abutting against the head of a screw, Z, (arranged in the case and screwed through a stationary flan ge, a as shown,) serves to limit the advance movement of the rotary cap and, of course, that of the ratchet-wheeL The backward movement of the rotary cap is est-opped by a stud, b', of the cap bringing up against another stud, c', projecting from the case B.

The leverF should be formed as represented, in order that it may be elastic, or act as a spring, but still have suicient rigidity to turn the rotary cap as may be required.

The obj ect in having the lever elastic is that it may not be broken by the wheel-hub or the cam thereof, to work against suoli lever or be caused hy the wheel or cam to overstrain the mechanism operated by such lever.

It is intended for the main case A to be fast ened or clamped to the carriageaxle, and to have projecting from the hub of one ot the the wheels ot' such axle a cam or wiper to actnate or move the lever F upward during each entire revolution of the wheel. Provided the dial he properly made, it will register with the index-pointers the distance the carriage may run.

Fig. 9 represents, on an enlarged scale, a side view ofthe ratchet-wheel C, whose teeth difter in their lengths, cach, as shown, being a little lon ger than the one directly in rear of it. The plnpose of so making the teeth is to enable the way-meter to bey adapted for use with carriagewhcels of different diameter. W'ere the teeth of even length throughout, it has been found impracticable to make the im p ellin g-pawl operate the ratchet correctly, as the areal movement of the pawl must vary, as the carriagewheel is larger or smaller, for, unless this is the case, the dial and pointers will not indicate the distance traveled.

To adjust the meter to any wheel is the purpose of the screw Z, which, by being raised or lowered, determines the extent of forward movement of the ratchet-wheel, and thus regulates the train, so that the bands or pointers may indicate on the dial the true distance traveled by the wheel.

As the wheels may vary in diameter, so must the areal movement ofthe atchet be varied to adjust the train to indicate the proper distance.

In view of this variation, it will be seen that, as each movement of theimpelling-pawl is alike or the same distance, whatever maybe the diameter of the carria gewheel, such pawl will n ot always take a tooth of the ratchet at thc proper time, but will ride upon it.

One object of making the lever elastic, as set forth, is to enable it to spring up under the strain of the cam after the atchetwheel may have been estopped in its advance.

lt has been found that by making the butt of the ratchet movable in size the slip of the pawl is so compensated or varied that the ratchet-wheel will work to better advantage than were its teeth of equal length.

I am aware thatd a 'ay-meter for a carriage, and to be operated by acam on a wheel-hub thereof, is not new; and therefore I make no claim to such in the abstract.

I claim as my invention in the said waymeter as follows:

l. The arm l, the lever i1, the impcllingqmwl 7i', the spring 0, the studs m s, and the two gears b i, all constructed, combined, and arranged within their case A, substantially as described.

2. rIhe lever-spring o, the retaining-paw] l, the in'ipelling-pawl lf, the arm l, the lever n, the studs m s, and the two gears l) i, all combined and arranged together and in and with their case A, as explained.

3. rlhe adjustable stop-screw s, the stud y, and the elastic lever F, in combination and arranged as described with the rest of the nieclianism, (via, the rotary cap a, the iinpellingpawl lr, and ratchet-wheel (1,) t'or revolving`- the main arbor D ot' the train.

JQNATHAN A. ROBIXSON.

'itnesses:

It. II. EDDY, .'I. It. SNow. 

